What Are the Average Costs of Getting Your Taxes Prepared Professionally?

Using online programs like Turbotax to file personal taxes is growing more and more popular, but there are still plenty of good reasons to hire a professional. The money you save by doing it yourself may not ultimately be worth it, since an accountant is trained to find those extra deductions and other ways to lower your overall bill to the IRS.

But if you’re wondering what the costs look like for all the various forms across the numerous regions of the country, the National Society of Accountants surveyed their 11,000 members and compiled just that very information. The average tax-preparer fee for a standard itemized Form 1040 with Schedule A and a state tax return is $246.

Here’s a quick look at the average prices for all the various forms you may be required to file:

$205 for a Form 1040 Schedule C (business)

$556 for a Form 1065 (partnership)

$759 for a Form 1120 (corporation)

$717 for a Form 1120S (S corporation)

$468 for a Form 1041 (fiduciary)

$628 for a Form 990 (tax exempt)

$59 for a Form 940 (Federal unemployment)

$134 for Schedule D (gains and losses)

$155 for Schedule E (rental)

$185 for Schedule F (farm)

That’s not all the survey found, though. According to the NSA press release, “fees vary by region, firm size, population, and economic strength of an area. The average tax preparation fee for an itemized Form 1040 with Schedule A and a state tax return in each U.S. census district are as follows”:

New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) – $237

Middle Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) – $258

South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) – $253

East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) – $279

West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) – $226

East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) – $225

West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) – $196

Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) – $233

Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) – $288

So if you’re still debating whether to file yourself or go to a professional, this should give you an idea of what to expect. “I think most people would say this is worth the money,” says NSA Executive Vice President John Ams. “Especially when you think about how long it will take you to do the return. Just reading the instructions can take hours, let alone filling it out. Let a professional take the hassle out of it.”

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